 "Maryam Nawaz dons police uniform, Pakistan debates rules, impersonation, history")
The newly elected Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab Maryam Nawaz stirred a major controversy after she strutted in a police uniform at a passing-out ceremony for lady constables in Lahore. The move sparked a major whirlwind of split opinions.
While the government called the move a gesture to update the spirits of young police officers, critics decried it as mere showboating and questioned the legality of a civilian sporting police attire. Some even scratched their heads while trying to understand the motive behind the spectacle.
Not only this, political adversaries of Maryam Nawaz also slammed the Punjab CM and some even raised legal queries regarding the propriety of a civilian wearing a uniform.
The Criticisms
After the photographs of Maryam wearing the police uniforms started to circulate online, Opposition leaders in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, Yasmin Rashid, Moonis Elahi and Shahbaz Gill went on to condemn the move. The issue also remained at the top trends on social media.
“In Punjab, little kids dream about wearing Air Force uniforms or any other uniforms. Today, Mashallah she came in police uniform to attend the parade. What is happening in this country,” Ayub asserted during his speech in the National Assembly.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“They have made a joke out of everything. Look at how the world perceives us! No policy statement, no talks on inflation, where are they,” he added. He went on to call the country’s ruling regime “non-serious” and described Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as “rental prime minister”.
A lawyer from Lahore even went to the trouble of taking the matter to the Lahore High Court. He filed a petition against Maryam for wearing a uniform without, what he termed as lawful authorization, and demanded the filing of an FIR against her.
Former caretaker CM of Punjab and senior political analyst, Hasan Askari also expressed his disapproval over the matter and insisted that it wasn’t a mere “fancy-dress affair”.
He stressed that the daughter of former PM Nawaz Sharif should uphold the dignity of her high office instead of stooping to such levels, adding that no CM has ever acted this way, The Express Tribune reported.
Punjab police come to the defence
Meanwhile, the Punjab police quickly jumped into Maryam’s defence and released a statement on the matter.
“As per the ‘Punjab Police Dress Regulations’, the CM of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, is entitled to wear the police uniform. This has been widely celebrated by the police personnel, who view it as a commendable show of solidarity,” the police wrote in a statement on X, formally known as Twitter.
As per the 'Punjab Police Dress Regulations', the CM of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, is entitled to wear the police uniform. This has been widely celebrated by the police personnel, who view it as a commendable show of solidarity. The Central Police Office has received hundreds… pic.twitter.com/GFtXBNSuZo
— Punjab Police Official (@OfficialDPRPP) April 25, 2024
“The Central Police Office has received hundreds of messages in which police personnel have lauded this step. Female police officers are celebrating the event and have shared various pictures of Madam CM Punjab in uniform,” the provisional department furthered sharing the notification of an amendment in the regulations.
The department then went on to state that it is committed to improving law and order and to continuing the counter-terrorism efforts across the country.
The notice shrouded with scepticism
While the notification was dated to January 30, it had not seen the light of the day before the incident. Hence, many suspected that the police were trying to cover up Maryam by unearthing such relaxations.
According to The Express Tribune, a former senior cabinet member of the outgoing caretaker government denied the knowledge of any such relaxation. The unidentified cabinet minister even went on to question the rationale behind its issuance.
He insisted that there must be a justification for such an amendment and the Inspector General (IG) should clarify why it was requested. “Can the IG of Punjab be permitted to don the attire of a general?”
The family affair
Many of Maryam’s supporters, even her party — Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) recalled how her father Nawaz Sharif himself wore a police uniform in the past to defend her actions.
“Following in her father’s footsteps, CM Maryam Nawaz exemplifies support for Punjab police, including the women officers, by donning the police uniform,” the party wrote on X.
While the PML-N supremo did wear a uniform of the civil defence, which bears a resemblance to the previous police uniform, it still wasn’t an actual police uniform.
Maryam’s latest stint has caused major political chaos in an already struggling nation which is engulfed in political and social turmoil.
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